19. Emissions strongly related to water level Vegetation strongly related to water level Use vegetation as indicator for emissions!
20. In an environmental gradient some plant species occur together; others exclude each other. Species groups (and their absence!) indicate site conditions much sharper than individual plant species: “ vegetation forms ” . site factor gradient species groups site factor classes subunits 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 1 2
21. Vegetation types calibrated for GHG emissions: GESTs: Greenhouse gas Emission Site Types Some examples: Water level Vegetation CH 4 CO 2 GWP 1 7 11 16.5 16.5 24 0 0 8 13 (8.5 – 16.5) 15 24 1 (0.3 – 1.7) 7 (5.0 – 9.5) 3 3.5 (2.5 – 6) 1.5 (1.3 – 2) 0 FLOODED TALL AND SHORT REEDS WET TALL SEDGE MARSHES VERY MOIST MEADOWS, FORBS & TALL REEDS VERY MOIST MEADOWS MOIST FORBS & MEADOWS MOD. MOIST FORBS & MEADOWS 6+ 5+ 4+ 4+/3+ (3+/2+) 3+ 2-, 2+, 2~
22. GESTs with indicator species groups Each GEST with typical species Each GEST with typical GHG emissions 2 <0 2 5+ Polytrichum commune Polytrichum-lawn 8 -2 10 5+ Sph. cuspidatum, Scheuchzeria Green Sphagnum hollow 3 -2 5 5+ Sph. magellanicum, Sph. rubellum, Sph. fuscum, Sph. recurvum agg. Red or green Sphagnum lawn (optimal) Glyceria maxima, Berula erecta, Bidens tripartita, B. cernua Bidens-Glyceria-reeds Typha latifolia, Phragmites, Rorippa aquatica, Lemna minor Rorippa-Typha-Phragmites-reeds Scorpidium, Eleocharis quinqueflora - Phragmites + Solanum without Urtica-gr. Solano-Phragmitetum 10 <0 / ±0 10 5+ Phragmites, Solanum dulcamara Sphagnum-Phragmites-reeds Cladium, Scorpidium Scorpidium-Cladium-reeds Equisetum fluviatile Equisetum-reeds Juncus effusus, Sphagnum recurvum agg. Sphagnum-Juncus effusus-marsh Scorpidium, Eleocharis quinqueflora - Carex (shunt) dominated Scorpi dium-Eleocharis-marsh Drepanocladus div. spec., Carex diandra, Carex rostr., Carex limosa - Carex dominated Drepanocladus-Carex-marsh Sph. recurvum agg., Carex nigra, C. curta, Eriophorum angustifolium Sphagnum-Carex-Eriophorum-marsh 12.5 <0 (±0) 12.5 5+ Sphagnum recurvum agg., Carex limosa, Scheuchzeria Sphagnum-Carex limosa-marsh GWP CO 2 CH 4 WL class Typical/differentiating species Vegetation type
The Republic of Belarus is situated in the geographical centre of Europe covering an area of about 207600 km2. It extends 560 km from north to south and 650 km from west to east. In general the country’s relief is low, with the highest point of 346 meters above the sea level. Physical and climatic conditions of Belarus provide for domination of forest and wetland ecosystems. The northern part of Belarus (Poozerye) is characterised by presence of large coniferous forests and numerous lakes, bogs and rivers. The central part is largely represented by the intensively cultivated open landscapes. The southern part (Polesye) is dominated by fens and transitional bogs, broad-leaved forests, crossed by rivers with vast highly water-logged floodplaines.
11 out of 17 project sites are depleted peatlands
2 sites – used for agriculture
large area of degraded peatlands is the reason why EE is one of the world‘s peatland emission hotspots
130 for CH4, 53 for CO2, 84 for N20; Netherlands, Germany, S-Sweden, N-France